Friday, September 28, 2018

If you live in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, Stratford, or Brantford and are in need of water softener repairs, the experienced technicians at WaterSmart are here for you. We know how to repair almost every brand of water softener, and you can trust our trained professionals to expertly fix any problems you may have with yours. We will quickly and efficiently fix it regardless of whether or not you have purchased it from us. Read on to discover some of the water issues pertaining to each city, and contact us today to get your water softener working again in no time at all!

"I have recently purchased a water softener from Watersmart Systems and I am very pleased with their product and their professional and prompt service. I will certainly contact Watersmart again if I need help with water-related problems in the future." - Nguyen Vo

If you live in any of these cities, chances are you've got hard water flowing into your home, and that can become a problem over time. While there are no apparent health risks to drinking hard water, some people find the taste unpleasant. Even though it is safe to drink, having hard water can cause a number of issues in your home. Some of these problems include:

Damage to your dishwasher, washing machine, and hot water heater due to mineral build-up

Calcium build-up in your shower

Sink and toilet bowl stains

Damage to your plumbing pipes

Difficulties getting your dishes and laundry clean

Damage to your clothing, causing it to wear out faster.

What Does It Mean to Have Hard Water?

Hard water is water that contains large amounts of dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium. The hardness of water is measured in milligrams per litre. Water is considered hard if it has between 121 and 180 mg/litre of these minerals or very hard if it has over 180 mg/litre. The following is a graph depicting the different classes of water hardness.

With that in mind, here's a look at the hard water levels in the cities listed above:

As you can see, these areas have what is considered to be very hard water, and therefore water softeners are recommended for area residents.

Cities along the Grand River - like Cambridge pictured above - generally have hard drinking water.

How Does a Water Softener Work?

A water softener uses a medium that serves to exchange "ions" of calcium and magnesium with sodium and potassium. This occurs in four steps:

To do the ion replacement, the water in the house runs through a resin bed of small plastic beads or zeolite. The beads are covered with sodium or potassium ions. As the water flows past the ions, they swap places with the calcium and magnesium ions. Eventually, the beads contain nothing but calcium and magnesium, and softening stops. It is then time to regenerate the beads or zeolite.

To regenerate, the beads need to regain their sodium or potassium ions by being flooded with a salty brine solution that is rich in sodium or potassium.

Once completed, the calcium and magnesium, dirt, and sediments are flushed from the beads and into the drain in a process called backwash.

The final phase rinses the mineral tank with fresh water and loads the brine tank so it's ready for the next cycle.

Automatic water softeners are usually programmed to recharge at specific times that will not disrupt the occupants of the home. It is more water-efficient to have a metered model that will regenerate only when required. Be sure to check out our water softener calculator to discover the ideal model for your home!

Contact WaterSmart for all your water softener repairs.

How To Avoid Serious Water Softener Repairs

While most softeners need little care and will last for many years, problems may occasionally occur, requiring water softener repairs. To ensure smooth sailing, the water softener should regenerate at least once a week to assure its longevity. If your softener is not working properly, here's a few things to watch for:

Check for salt build-up in the brine tank. If a crust has formed, remove it using a vacuum, clean with soap and water, and rinse well.

If your water contains iron, check for iron deposits in the resin bed. If it is present, use an iron-removing product to clean the softener.

Check the resin tank injector. If it is plugged with "dirty" salt, shut off the softener's bypass plug, run a manual regeneration, and then clean the injector and injector screen.

If your salt tank is over 1/2 full of salt and no water, pour 5-10 gallons of warm to hot (NOT BOILING) water in the salt tank.

Water Softener Repairs - Trust a Professional

Like with any other home appliances, there may be a time when you need some water softener repairs. There are a number of problems that can occur with a water softener over time. Some of the issues you may encounter are:

Seal kit needs replacing

Salt bridges

Problems with timers

Faulty power supply

Motor issues

Blockages

Resin problems

Leaks

Only trust your water softener repairs to a professional plumber. If you attempt to do the repairs yourself, you will void any warranty. The experienced technicians at WaterSmart know how to repair almost every brand of water softener, and you can trust our trained professionals to expertly repair any problems you may have with your water softener. We will quickly and efficiently fix it regardless of whether or not you have purchased it from us.

Contact us today and we will have your water softener working again in no time at all!

WaterSmart Knows Water Softener Repairs!

We have been in operation for over 20 years and have seen just about everything when it comes to water softener repairs. If you have a problem, trust us to fix it, whether it be a motor issue, salt bridge, resin issues, blockages, leaks, or some other less common problem.